


Just the Two of Us

by opalmatrix



Category: Seiyou Kottou Yougashiten | Antique Bakery
Genre: Canon Gay Character, Developing Relationship, Loneliness, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-02
Updated: 2012-08-02
Packaged: 2017-11-11 06:04:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/475314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/opalmatrix/pseuds/opalmatrix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With only the two of them in the shop, Tachibana ends up with too much time to think.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just the Two of Us

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kantayra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kantayra/gifts).



> Written for Parallels 2012. Prompt: "On a very shallow level: I really want to see these two just DO IT ALREADY. :P A story about how they get together would be amazing (although tough with Tachibana's personality, I know)." Beta by **[smillaraaq](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Smillaraaq/)**.

_Damn, I miss Kanda._

Tachibana blinked, astonished at the turn his thoughts had taken. But it was true. 

It wasn't such a problem in the morning. When he arrived each day, Ono had already been at Antique for two hours, and freshly baked or iced pastries sat in their ordered ranks on the big trays. Tachibana had to go over all the day's offerings, sometimes memorizing new lists of ingredients, always reviewing his pitches to himself, polishing the descriptions and his patter to appeal to various types of customers. He was in his element as the the clientele arrived, assessing each person or group, tempting and seducing them with the idea of the cake, then closing the sale and sending them off already wanting more. Table service was hellishly hectic without Chikage's stolid support, but it was also exhilarating to get everything ready so quickly and arrange it so beautifully that the customers felt the same awe that they felt in watching a winning Olympic performance. In fact, every day was one long stream of satisfying moments.

As Antique quieted down for the evening, Tachibana had less and less to occupy his mind. Rearranging the depleted display case and setting things up for the next day took so little time and skill. When the store actually closed, Tachibana would even tackle dishwashing, because it just didn't seem right that Ono's masterful fingers should become reddened and perhaps lose their sensitivity. And all the while, Ono would be prepping things for the next day's cakes: making syrups and decorations, portioning butter and flour, taking stock of his ingredients and making order lists. He was almost silent as he worked, although he sometimes hummed faintly, as unselfconscious as a bee busy among flowers.

Kanda would have kept up a constant stream of talk, asking questions, admiring his master's technique. Chikage would have had questions too: aggravatingly simple ones but still a distraction and part of the background noise of the busy, successful shop. Now, Tachibana had only the voice of his own mind as his daily soundtrack: nagging, tedious picking at the questions of why every woman he dated eventually settled for someone else, what had become of the man who kidnapped him all those years ago, and whether he would still be maundering around selling cakes when he was sixty.

"I think we could use an extra dozen eggs," said Ono. Tachibana looked around from the fiddly yet mindless task of drying the components of the big stand mixer. Ono was taking off his white chef's jacket, tossing it into the laundry service basket. He rummaged in his locker, pulling out his leather jacket and putting it on, then came over to Tachibana with the order list. He had not changed his demure accountant wireframes for his tinted pimp glasses. 

Tachibana glanced at the list. Aside from the extra eggs, it all looked routine. "Whatever you say." And then, abruptly: "Ono, have you got a date tonight?"

Ono blinked with surprise, and his mouth dropped open a little. For that instant, his face looked young and defenseless, like the boy who had approached Tachibana in school so many years ago. Then his eyes glinted and his delicate features became steely yet seductive as the "Gay of Demonic Charm" emerged. It was like watching a spirit possession in a horror film. "Actually, I don't. I broke it off with Kouhei two days ago. Why would you want to know, Tachibana-san?"

"Because I was going to ask you out for a drink. Not a date - just a drink. Colleagues do that."

"Oh, certainly. How could I resist that invitation?"

_How could I have asked him that in the first place?_ But it wasn't like Tachibana had anything else to do tonight. He placed the last beater precisely on the counter next to its mate to finish air drying overnight, put away his apron and waistcoat, and got into his own jacket.

The air outside was still and moist - even a little muggy. Tachibana turned over in his mind the list of bars he frequented. Jikoo would be too noisy in the wrong way, his wallet wasn't feeling flush enough for Ishinohana, Hobgoblin had a new bartender who needed some time to settle in ... .

_Damn. This sucks. I'm not letting him take me to any of his usual places._

"You know what," said Tachibana, at last; "I have a really great bottle of cognac back at my apartment. You're just the type of guy to appreciate it. OK?"

Ono gave him a sly look. "Hmmm. Cognac just for the two of us sounds perfect."

Tachibana hunched his shoulders and ignored the innuendo. They arrived at his building and went up to Tachibana's apartment. Ono looked around curiously as Tachibana got out the brandy, a corkscrew, two glasses, and as an afterthought, a dish of salted nuts and rice crackers. He set the drinks and food down on the coffee table and looked over at Ono. "Sit down, already. You've been on your feet all day: you're making me tired just looking at you."

"Well, for that matter, so have you." Ono sat down at one end of the sofa and sank back into the cushions with a sigh. Tachibana seated himself on the edge of the arm chair and worked the cognac open. He tipped a bit of the liquor into one of the glasses and passed it to Ono, who swirled it in the glass, sniffed at it, and took a sip.

"OK?" asked Tachibana.

"Oh yes - it's wonderful," said Ono, and passed the glass back to him. Tachibana poured Ono a proper shot and then did the same for himself. They sat and sipped in a silence that began to strike Tachibana as deafening. "Maybe I should put on some music," he said, at last.

"That would be lovely, Tachibana-san."

"Any requests?"

Ono looked at him searchingly, a small smile on his lips. Tachibana gritted his teeth and waited for him to ask for romantic mood music or the cheesy pop that was usually being played in that gayed-out Shinjuku joint of his. "Some jazz would be great," said Ono. "Or even some light classical."

Relieved, Tachibana got up and popped _Alone with Three Giants_ , _Dedicated to Connie_ , and _Sax and Swing_ into the CD player. _That didn't help much_ , he thought, as he sat down, and he swallowed the rest of his cognac in one draught. Ono looked shocked. "That's no way to treat cognac, Tachibana!"

"This from a man who puts the stuff into cakes," muttered Tachibana, pouring himself some more. And then: "Hey, Ono, d'you miss Kanda?"

Ono sipped at his liquor. Watching him, Tachibana remembered how he'd thought Ono mousy back in high school. Now there was a faint flush to his face from the brandy, and he was easier to look at in this thoughtful mood than when he was doing his Demonic Charm thing, "Yes, I do," he said, at last. "He was not just a very promising apprentice - his liveliness gave the whole shop a great energy. What about you? Do you miss him, and Chikage-san?"

"Errr ... hell. Yes, I do. Not that I get much of a chance to miss Chikage. He's always calling up about some fool thing or other. That phone could ring any minute, and it'd be him."

"Well, I could leave anytime you needed me to."

_No, don't,_ thought Tachibana. And then: _Damn. What's with me tonight?_ He poured himself more cognac.

"Would you want to hire someone else?" asked Ono. "We could certainly do with at least one other person in the shop."

"I can't hire a woman, because you're scared of them, and I can't hire a guy, because you'd mess with him. Where does that leave us?"

"Well, I wasn't too put off by your grandmother and aunt. I think I handled that rather well."

"A grandmotherly waitress? You're kidding, right?"

"No, but all right. I guess that wouldn't go with our haute cuisine image. But maybe you could find another boyish type like Kanda-kun."

"Hell. We got lucky with Kanda. Lightning doesn't hit the same place twice."

"Actually, it does. All the time!" Ono laughed, his eyes crinkling and his white teeth flashing. Tachibana remembered how back in high school, Teshigawara had admired Ono's big black eyes and beautiful skin. _I said Ono didn't ask to be born effeminate. And he didn't. And he didn't ask to be this player he's become. I did that to him._

_He said he loved me. 'Do you think of me when you're jerkin' it?' That's what I asked him back then. Now I want to ask him that again. He might even tell me._

But all he said aloud was "More cognac, Ono?"

"Oh ... well, maybe a little. It's very good."

"Got it from my grandmother. Last Christmas." Tachibana poured each of them a couple more fingers. The heat of the liquor was creeping up from his belly to his face, and down to his groin. _'Doesn't he seem sort of ... sexy?' That's what Teshigawara had asked the rest of them._

_Oh yes, he does. He really does._

"So ... Tachibana-san? Are you feeling all right?"

Tachibana set his glass down on the coffee table with a thump. "Fine. I'm fine. Why?"

"Because ... you keep staring at me."

Tachibana closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. "Guess I'm ... I've ... ."

"You look really tired. Maybe I should just go."

Panic set in. _Why?_ He dropped his hand and opened his eyes. "You don't have to. There's lots more music to go." _Oh, and that made a lot of sense, didn't it?_

Now Ono looked really confused. He set his glass down, too, but carefully. "Tachibana-san -"

Tachibana stood up, stepped around the coffee table, and sat down next to Ono. "No. Don't go yet."

He grabbed Ono's nearer shoulder, pulled him closer, and kissed him.

Ono was stiff with shock and made a muffled noise of surprise against Tachibana's mouth, but then he relaxed and his lips parted. Tachibana just let his mouth do what it seemed to want to do. The kiss was wet and messy, and Ono tasted like brandy and something else, something sweet but not cloying. Tachibana finally broke off to breathe.

Ono's face was as flushed as his felt. "Tachibana, what in the world was that? You said you'd never ... that you didn't feel anything for me."

Tachibana leaned his head back on the sofa and stared at the ceiling. "Things change. People do, too."

Ono was silent for a moment. "You miss the other two, and you're drunk."

"Only two damn glasses of brandy, Ono. It takes a lot more than that to get me drunk. Just a little buzz, that's all."

"You'll be sorry later, and I'll have to leave Antique, just like all my other jobs."

"Hell no. I'm not letting you go."

"Oh? Are you going to threaten to break my fingers next?"

Tachibana snapped upright and glared at him. "I am not your damn Jean-Baptiste. But I can't run that place without you. If you go, it dies. It's already kind of ... broken."

"Because Chikage-san and Kanda-kun are gone."

"I don't want to repeat myself."

"That doesn't mean you need to kiss me, or-"

"Damn it, we're, like ... married, anyway."

" _What did you just say?_ "

"At work, I mean! And I come home to this empty apartment, and yours might as well be, 'cause none of those guys stick with you, do they?"

"I break it off, not them!"

"That's what I mean - you don't get stuck on them. But you stick with me."

Ono leaned forward earnestly, his forearms resting on his thighs and his hands clasped between his knees. "You know how to run a shop. I can do good work there. Tachibana-san ... you said I should hurry up and die."

"It was more than ten years ago. And I didn't mean it."

"Then why did you say it? I was devastated."

Tachibana slumped back against the sofa and rubbed his eyes. "When I thought about you right then .. I remembered things. Things that I'd been trying to forget."

There was a long silence. Finally: "About your kidnapping."

"Must have been. Just a little. It made me scared and disgusted. So ... that came into my mouth, and I said it."

"Then ... why now?"

"Dammit, I am not seventeen anymore! And look at me - am I married? Engaged? Even dating someone?"

"You just haven't found the right person."

"I think I _have_ found the right person." Tachibana raised his head and gave Ono a hard look. "And what's with you? You've been trying to get into my pants since I interviewed you for Antique, and now ... ."

"After what you just told me - even if you're _not_ drunk, I'll feel like I'm taking advantage of you."

"Bullshit, Ono! I'm a big boy now! And I'm telling you that I've been sitting here staring at you and thinking you're damn sexy!"

To his surprise, Ono flushed like a schoolgirl, and Tachibana smirked. Ono looked at him from the corner of his eyes and started to chuckle. A second later they were both laughing so hard that they had to lean against each other's shoulders for support.

"Oh damn, what a mess," sighed Tachibana. "D'you want some more cognac, Ono?"

"I think I have enough right here, especially if you have something else in mind for the rest of the evening. And are you going to keep calling me Ono?"

"No way I'm going to call you Yu-chan."

"How about just Yu?"

"Then I'm Kei." Tachibana picked up his own glass from across the table. "Let's start all over again, shall we? Pleased to meet you, Yu." He tossed back the rest of his cognac.

"Glad to make your acquaintance, Kei." Ono drained his glass and then clinked it against Tachibana's. "To us!"

Tachibana took Ono's glass and put both of the empties back on the coffee table. Then he grabbed Ono and pulled him into his lap. "To us," he agreed, and kissed him.

 


End file.
